Evening Republican, Volume 15, Number 83, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 7 April 1911 — A Columbus of Space [ARTICLE]

A Columbus of Space

By Garrett P. Serviss.

Copyright, by Frank A. Munsey Co. ' —-—O' CHAPTER XXl—Continued. “Well," said Jack, “it’B the shortest, twenty months in my experience." Henry, after his fashion, said nothing, but looked gloomy and disgruntled in the glare of the electric light streaming from the car. Haying finished 'his observations, Edmund announced that he now knew his Course and could take us directly to the caverns of Juba’s people. But before entering the car he took Ala again by the arm and they stood together for a long time, gazing up at the. earth and the stars, while he communed with .fier, telling her, in that strange language, I know not what marvelous things which must have- been revelations of enormous significance to her intelligence. I can see them yet, standing there

Bide by side, and I can recall the very expression of her beautiful eyes, peering out of the hooding furs, as she drank in his thoughts, with a look of mingled love and admiration and confidence. * At length we-re-entered the car, and, rising to a moderate elevation, resumed our journey at a rapid pace. The pathless frozen desert beneath us glittered Occasionally in the starlight, and after a long time we caught sigiu of the well-remembered shafts of light rising from the ground. ‘-We are getting into the inhabited region," said Edmund. "We shall have to search a little for landmarks,” he added, “because, of course, my observations are not as accurate as those of 'a geodetic survey, and I canno-, locate the precise position of Juba’s caverns. But I can. come very dose to them, and I depend upon Juba himself to aid in finding the'exact spot." Since our arrival in the dark hemisphere I had frequently stuided Juba’s countenance, and I detected many signs of v the interest that the poor fellow experienced in finding himself once more In his own land. Still, it seemed to me that Jack was right, and that Juba would prefer to stay with us than to remain with his people. We passed over several groups of inhabited caverns, but we saw no signs of life except the light shafts issuing upward. - ;

We now ran close to the surface, and kept a sharp lookout. Suddenly Juba clapped his hairy hands with an expression of delight, and pointed to a row of lights which he seemed to tecbgnfae, • ;•* 7 ' ; “That’s It,” said Edmund. “I was sure he would know when he was at, home.” ’ - There was no mistake about it. Juba had reooghlzed his Own village, go Ao speak, probably by the arrangement of the shafts. In a little . while We ourselves became aware of'certain fa miliar aspects of the landscape, and, almost without hesitation, we approached the mouth of our ‘own cavern. Then we came softly down to the ground, and the door was thrown open. “Hold on,” said Jack, “let’s give them a surprise. Let’s fire a gun in salute.” 7 v > , Edmund 'made no objection, and -Jack, who had almost entirely recovered his activity, fired the signal. As the sound rattled through the frozen air we waited with great curiosity, standing within a few rods of the farrible altar on which I had nearly been sacrificed. Presently two or three hairy heads appeared at the cavern’s mouth. Juba immediately jan toward them. They disappeared like frightened: rabbits, and Juba dashed 'down the steps in pursuit. We halted at the top to let him soothe the fears of his compatriots. In a short time he reappeared with a dozen companions. Evidently he had explained the situation, and I was rather surprised at the apparent indifference with which they greeted us. We seemed much more glad to see them than they were to see us. I recognized several wellknown faces among them.

Then, accompanied by Ala and her attendants, we descended, escorted 6y Juba, who seemed to take great pride in leading us.. Arrived at the first underground apartment, we found a great crowd of the hairy natives assembled. The woman were more cordial in their greetings- than the men, and seemed especially interested in Ala and ( her maids. I expected to see some indications of concern over the fate of those who had been lost in the flood, but I observed none, and I do not really know whether or not any explanation of their absence Was given by Juba. While most of our party remained in this chamber, Edmund took Ala and the majordomo on an exploration of the deeper parts of the cavern. Ala expressed the greatest interest in everything she saw. . Edmund told me that he showed her the coal mines, the blacksmith shop and all the curiosities of the place. But there was no reason for linger ing there, and as soon as Edmund had .completed his circuit, preparations were made for our departure. Then Edmund took Juba aside and tried, as he had said he would, to persuade the fellow to remain with his own people. But Juba was deaf to all arguments, and at last Edmund,

throwing up his bands, said: “Well, it’s no use. Juba is determined to go back with us, so we’ll have to take him.” * Poor Juba! I often think of him now. How infinitely better it would have been for him if he had not been so fond of thg Strangers who had dropped into his gloomy world out of the starry sky! - CHAPTER XXII. At The Capital. I need not detain you with an account of our return trip. Edmund again laid his course by the stars, and running at a high elevation W« passed over the crystal mountains and their warring tempests, believing that we could recognize with our glasses the huge jeweled peak that had once so nearly Wrought our destruction. Edmund pointed this out to Ala as she clung to his arm, and then We crossed the sea where we had first met her, and were soon coursing under the great cloud-dome in the land of filtered sunshine.

Upon reaching the capital the same scenes of jubilation were renewed, but there was great surprise at our reappearance from exactly the opposite direction to that in which we had been expected. An aeroplane was at once dispatched to recall those who were waiting for us on the border of the twilight zone. There cap be no doubt that the forebodings which had so long occupied iny mind tended to color my judgment, yet I would have sworn that I detected a change in'the moral atmosphere of the capital. Our greeting from the people Was hearty, as usual, but there' were faces which seemed to me to wear a half-concealed scowl, and I caught, occasionally, an unfriendly glance in the crowd. These things impressed me so deeply that again I warned Edmund. , “The current is beginning to run against us," I told him. “I am sure of it." This time he did not laugh at my fears On the contrary, he said: “Yes, I believe you are right. But I am not afraid. We have weathered worse storms.” “But what will you do?” “Let events take their course, and watch them.” “Then you may be too late. Listen to me. Prepare the car, get Ala’s consent to go, for I believe she would follow you any where, and start for the earth at the earliest possible moment.”. Edmund mused a little while. Then he said: ■ - “The day after tomorrow.”

“T}ie day after tomorrow?” I replied, impatiently. “Why trifle thus? You know that there are no days and no tomorrows in this land of endless light.” |; Edmund smiled. * “Count forty-eight hours by your watch,” he said, “and at the end of l that time I promise you to start:” This promise heartened me im“thensely. But I did not know wbat that “day after tomorrow” had in store. The blow was nearer falling that! I could have suspected. It was hastened, without doubt, by an occurrence, which nobody could foresee or govern, and which, if it had happened at the time of our first arrival, would probably have had no mischievous consequences for us. But, since that fatal interview' in the temple, all was changed, and an event more disastrous for us than that which now occurred Ipgra himself could not have devised. It was: the openiqg of the- clouddome! . ,f- ! I I (have Already told yod that at certain unpredicted times a rift appeared in the pearly vault of: the heavens and tke sun for a few minutes blazed down through the opening in unclouded splendor. So many years had elapsed since the last occurrence of this phenomenon that for the younger generation -it was only a tradition, yet it was a tradition on which the pagan religious system—of which the eagle-faced Sphinx In tke red-lighted temple was the head-center—waa and its influence upon the Ignorant and superstitious multitude was unbounded and Irresistible. -This terrible priest, whose hatred of us had, of coarse, been stimulated by Ala’s open defiance, had, as I feared, occupied the time of onr ab-

*ence in poisoning as many minds as possible against us, and his sacred character had enabled him to spread the venom of religious prejudice With amazing rapidity. Even if we had not wasted time on our unfortunate expedition, I do not know that ’we could have done much to counteract his pernicious Influence, but then, at least, we should have been ready at ah earlier date to escape from his clutches. 9 ;'74 ■ And who knows whit Ala' with‘her great popularity, might have accomplished if she had been on the ground? I did not doubt for a moment that lUgra was in the capital and thick in the plot. „ , ' The opening of the dome came very suddenly. It was announced by a great shout—a rare occurrence—from the people who happened-to he on the outer' platforms of the palace tower. We were all with Ala'at the time, Edmund being engaged in trying to decipher the curious characters in a large book which she had brought him. Upon hearing the shout we all ran out. . } The scene was one of the most unforgettable things that occurred in our whole expedition. Excited people were crowding the platforms, jostling one another, jabbering, pushing and pointing upward; some already on their knees, others with looks of the, utmost consternation, throwing their arms wildly above their heads, while hundreds of aeroplanes were circling like frightenedL birds about the towers.

I glanced upward, following the direction of thousands of eyes, and was momentarily blinded by the ‘fierce glare of the sun, pouring its unmitigated rays straight down through a narrow rift in the cloud dome. The gold and jewels that decorated the tower made it blaze with a splendor like that of a huge frost-gemmed tree struck by the morning rays after a winter night’s ice storm. It was too dazzling to look upon. Then there was a movement in the vast throng, a space cleared itself, and the gigantic augur, wearing a great black miter flaming with circles of rubies and carbuncles, appeared, his strange beak projecting ominously and his black eyes aglow. Thousands instantly dropped on their knees as he slowly advanced. With one long arm carrying a sort of crozier, he pointed aloft, while he muttered a chant that fell like a charm upon the superstitious multitude.

I glanced at Ala. She did - not stir, and I felt my heart give an exultant bound, with the conviction which flashed over me that her active* penetrating mind had flung off the burden of this superstition. How much Edmund had been able to teach her I do not know, but I gave him all credit for the change. Soon the terrible priest directed hi 3 menacing glance upon us, as we continued standing after all the others had abjectly fallen before him! If his eyes .had glared before, they turned to living flames now. With a majestic stride he advanced toward Ala, and I thought for a- moment that he meant to strike her down with his staff. Edmund pushed her behibd him, and I shall never cease to thrill at the recollection that I, with a boldness that surprised -and gratified me afterward, sprang instantly to Edmund’s side, with Jack—-brave old Jack —at my elbow. What we should have done next t do not know, for our enemy hesitated. Whether he was cowered by our menacing aspect or whether he thought it unbecoming his dignity to attack us physically, at any rate, he stopped short; Then, towering to his full height, he ipade one vast sweep with his arm, and coVered us, I suppose, with a withering anathema. As far as he was concerned, that apparently ended it. He paid us no more' attentlon after that than if we had been so many sticks, bnt directed his gaze straight at the sub. I saw its rays sparkle in the corner of his • black eyes, which 1 never winked, and I hope I may be forgiven for wishing, as I did, that his god would strike him bllnd’on the spot.

As I glanced around I caught side looks from the prifeirate Worshipers which boded no good. Suddenly a cold band seemed, to have been planted over the pit of my stomach, for there, lifting his head above the kneeling crowd and staring at us with a wicked grin, was Ingra! An Instant later, and before f could speak to Edmund he was gone. This capped the climax of my apprehension*. The mere fact that Ingra dared to show himself here attested the change that had occurred in our situation. After a moment’s thought I determined not to tell Edmund at present what I had seen. The spectacle of the opening of the dome ended as unexpectedly as It had begun. The rift closed, and then for a few moments tbe contrast between the unclouded brilliance of the son and the soft glow that succeeded had an effect as If we had been plunged into night Finally objects became there was a great movement of the closely packed throng, the people rose from their knees, and the black priest

had gone as mysteriously as if he had been 'snatched up into the sky. (To be continued.)